Henry is 16 weeks old. and today we had a long drive (3hrs45). But I stopped every hour. He was absolutely fine when I stopped for the second time. We went for a little walk around, usual wee...Had some water then seemed fine back in his Crate until an hour later, when I turned around and saw he had vomitted. It was fairly solid, just looked like a soggy pile of kibble!(sorry if too much info) When I got home 45mins later, he was immediately sick again once out of the car, far more liquid this time and diarrhoea also. 3 hours later he is still vomiting about every 45mins, now just the water he's tried to drink in the mean time.... And also diarrhoea. Pure water. He just goes back and lies in his crate in between each event ( very quiet and not interacting. I'm reading a lot that says wait 24 hours to see if this persists.. Do you agree?? I'm so worried I hate seeing him so quiet lacking in energy. (Worth mentioning, we've been visiting at my parent's house for 2nights and they have a large garden... Might he have eaten something and I haven't noticed? Or does this sound like a bug??) Any thoughts so much appreciated!!
You poor thing, I am sure you are worried. It could be something he has eaten (bacteria) or a virus. I am not sure what time it is where you are but I would give the vet a call. One vomit or two combined with normal, bright behaviour would be something I'd just keep an eye on. But repeated vomiting and diarrhoea combined with lethargy would warrant a vet trip in my book. Is there a vet open at this time of day? If not a normal vet then is there an emergency vet you can call (I am defintely not saying this is an emergency...just that if an emergency vet is all there is then give them a call to get their advice).
I would say you should consult a vet. That much vomiting and diarrhea is very dehydrating and that needs to be dealt with. It's hard to say what the cause is, likely it's something he ate, but there are also viruses that live in the soil such as parvovirus. Is there an emergency vet line you can call? I hate to sound alarmist but if it is something serious you need to get on top of it right away. I had two dogs who both got parvo as puppies, so I tend to be a bit panicky about that, but the amount of vomiting and diarrhea you describe here worries me.
Thanks so much for your prompt responses. Yes it is the extreme lethargy that's worrying me.. It is 00.15am here now (in the UK) so I think probably best to wait until morning now. I just managed to coax him slowly out of his crate to take him outside for a wee before I go to bed...but he just lay straight down on the ground as soon as he was outside
The poor little man. He really does sound quite unwell....definitely no emergency vet you can call...? See if you can get him to drink some weak chicken stock - just make it up with a stock cube if you have one, maybe a quarter or half strength, slightly lukewarm. That might get a bit of fluid back into him. If he will not drink something tasty like chicken stock then I really would make every effort to contact a vet. Refusing food or a tasty fluid is a worrying sign. Lift up his lip and check the colour of his gums. They should be pink. If his gums are very pale, or dark coloured, that is not good. Press your finger into his gum then remove it - within 1-2 seconds the colour should come back into the gum. If not, that might indicate dehydration (or reduced blood flow).
As a practicing vet tech, my advice is to see your vet right away for an exam. Do not wait. Sub-q fluids may be given to treat dehydration, and the electrolytes in the fluids will provide nutrition. Your vet may also prescribe anti-nausea meds and meds to treat diarrhea. An evaluation will be done to determine the cause. Sometimes the cause is unknown, but supportive treatment of the symptoms is a must. As for diet following an episode of vomiting, our standard treatment is no food at all for 24 hours. After that begin a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice -- mostly rice at first, then increase the chicken over the next few days. The meals should be very small, 4 times a day. Continue for the next 5 days, then gradually introduce the normal diet while tapering off the bland diet over the following 5 days. Your vet will advise what is best. Poor little Henry I do hope he is feeling better soon!
Sorry Lisa, I didn't see your first post until this morning. I wanted to call the emergency vet, but my husband thought we should wait until morning. So, I've just given him some water which he seemed desperate to have and now watching him like hawk to see if he keeps it down. If he doesn't we'll go straight to the vet Thanks so much for your response
As he is so young, I would book in with the vet today anyways, especially if he is extra thirsty, lethargic or any vomiting/diorrhea. Please do let us know how he is
Let us know how he gets on. With him being so young it doesn't take a lot for it to become serious. I really would get him in to the vets.
I agree, bring him to the vet. This is exactly what I have experienced with our first lab! She had to stay overnight with the vet! Annemarie
